I laughed bitterly, my voice trembling as I pointed to the dishes on the table.
I explained, "I can't eat spicy food. You guys can enjoy your meal slowly."
When our eyes met, Charlie's grip on my arm tightened bit by bit and caused a sharp pain on it.
Miranda raised to her feet apprehensively and said, "Mr. Peterson, it's normal for Miss Jennings to be emotional. After all, she is pregnant. Maybe because I'm here she feels uncomfortable. I should be leaving now."
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She seemed to suffer some grievance.
Charlie released my arm abruptly and turned to comfort her, "Why should you leave? It's her problem, not yours."
Only after a long moment did he look back at me, his expression hard as he said, "Can you just calm down for once? Do you have to ruin every meal?”
Then he grumbled, "I didn’t even know you couldn’t eat spicy food. Since when? Other pregnant women can handle it. Why can’t you? Are you lying?”
"That's because I had just a miscarriage …."
I instinctively tried to defend myself, but he waved a hand impatiently to cut off my words.
"Enough!" he interjected. If you’re not eating, just go for a walk and let us enjoy our meal in peace, alright?”
He sat back down again. His focus once again returned to peeling shrimp for the girl sitting next to him. Then he cautioned her with a soft voice, "Slow down or you'll choke."
I bit my lips. I caught the taunting look that Miranda gave me.
I grabbed my bag and stormed out of the house. I wandered into some random restaurant and ate something.
When I got home, I stood outside the door and my legs were as heavy as lead and I could not move at all. From inside the house, I could hear the laughter and the hum of a hairdryer sounded. Charlie must be drying the girl's hair again.
The engagement ring that circled the ring finger of my left hand suddenly sparkled and the light hurt my eyes.
The winter wind was bitterly cold and it turned my hands red.
I slid the ring off my finger and tossed it into the trash bin near the door. My gaze shifted to the engagement cutouts we’d painstakingly made together two years ago. With one swift motion, I tore them down.
If my earlier thoughts had been driven by emotion, now I understood clearly what was inside my heart. I was done loving Charlie and I did not want to marry him anymore.